


shades of westeros

by calarinanis



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Drabble Collection, Elia Martell-centric, Eventual Jon Snow/Sansa Stark, F/M, Family Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Lemon Cakes, Minor Lyanna Stark - Freeform, Minor Robert Baratheon/Cersei Lannister, POV Arya Stark, POV Bran Stark, POV Catelyn Tully Stark, POV Cersei Lannister, POV Elia Martell, POV Jaime Lannister, POV Jon Snow, POV Myrcella Baratheon, POV Ned Stark, POV Oberyn Martell, POV Robb Stark, POV Sansa Stark, POV Tyrion Lannister, Young Cersei Lannister
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-02-22 21:03:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 2,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23400379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/calarinanis/pseuds/calarinanis
Summary: A series of 100 word drabbles focusing on some of our favourite Westerosi characters and moments.
Relationships: Arya Stark & Ned Stark, Ashara Dayne/Ned Stark, Catelyn Stark/Ned Stark, Elia Martell & Oberyn Martell, Jaime Lannister & Tyrion Lannister, Jon Snow & Arya Stark, Jon Snow/Sansa Stark, Robb Stark/Jeyne Westerling, Robert Baratheon/Cersei Lannister
Comments: 50
Kudos: 65





	1. aching memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It hurt Ned to look at Arya growing more like Lyanna.

As Arya grew, Ned found it harder and harder to look her in the eye. 

Her features grew more like Lyanna’s by the day which stung every time she met his eye. It was like being hit wave after wave with memories that he could not bear to revisit. 

His darling, sweet sister Lyanna was alive in his daughter Arya. 

The ever darkening hair and pointed grey eyes were becoming too painful a reminder. It took Catelyn to remind him that though Arya looked exactly like Lyanna, she was her own person. 

She was fiercer than Lyanna had ever been.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	2. tender hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the midst of war, Jon and Sansa found themselves growing ever closer.

Sansa felt a warmth burgeoning in her heart when she looked at her now cousin, Jon.

He was more noble than she remembered, more handsome and more intelligent than since they had parted. 

Jon could not reconcile the beautiful woman with the girl who had once despised him. 

Her face was prettier in its serenity, her smile more open and her mind more thoughtful. He felt a flush sweep through him. 

Coy glances were swapped, meetings in secluded rooms were made and late night conversations took place in her solar. 

Hidden from society, love bloomed quietly yet boldly between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	3. quiet moments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catelyn treasured the sound of silence amidst the constant rattle of Winterfell.

Silence did not come often to Winterfell. 

Noise was a more trustworthy bedfellow for Catelyn who had grown used to the bustling servants in Winterfell, the winds that howled at night and the screams of children far past their bedtime. 

So when each silence fell she learned to welcome them as space to breathe amongst the rattle of people. 

They were few and far between so she taught herself to savour each second of quietness as if it would be her last. She used it as a time for her own thoughts to flourish without distraction. 

Silence was always welcomed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	4. broken dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cersei had once thought her marriage to Robert Baratheon would give her everything she ever wanted.

Cersei had once wanted nothing more than to be married to the handsome Robert Baratheon, the mighty stag. She had held dreams of a happy marriage and a brood of beautiful children.

Not love, she already had that in spades, but mutual respect and understanding. 

How wrong she had been. 

Her golden hair had been set in perfect, tumbling curls and her lips carefully carved in red all for her husband and Robert did not even glance at her on their wedding night. 

Instead, he muttered ‘Lyanna’ several times over as he entered her before falling asleep.

Her heart stiffened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading :)


	5. terrible tempests

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Storms scared Arya more than she cared to admit.

Storms were a rare occurrence at Winterfell yet that did not stop Arya from having nightmares of winds crashing and rain flooding. 

She would wake up night after night in terror, cold and alone in her bed. Afraid of going back to sleep, she would sit up with heavy eyes until morning. 

Jon noticed the shadows deepening under her eyes so decided to see what she was up to at night. Seeing her huddled in her chair, he coughed to announce his presence. 

He took her hand and sat next to her until morning, her head dangling off his shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	6. endless tales

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Old Nan always had the best stories and Bran was her keenest listener.

Bran never tired of stories so it was his fortune that Old Nan had a new one everyday and sometimes she even had two. 

Some were tales of Winterfell when it was first built by Bran the Builder and the giants who aided him. Others were stories of dragons and direwolves and animals long forgotten. 

The ones he liked best, however, were about the Children of the Forest who were the first inhabitants of the North. They had abilities beyond his wildest comprehension such as speaking to the dead or the gift of greensight. 

That was all they were. Stories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	7. cruel words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tyrion had grown used to the hatred of his family.

All Tyrion had ever known from his father had been cruel words accompanied with a harsh, dismissive tone.

Cersei was no different. Her honeyed voice did not disguise her obvious disgust at having Tyrion as a brother. 

He was thankful for Jaime who by comparison was the kindest man alive. 

To his father and Cersei, he was nothing more than a misshapen dwarf who unfortunately shared their proud Lannister blood. 

He became accustomed to their cruelty whilst vowing he would never do the same to an innocent.

He had not asked to be born at the cost of his mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	8. honourable actions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ned had promised to keep his silence and that is what he did.

Honour kept Ned silent throughout the years. 

He would not speak a single word about Jon’s mother not even to Catelyn. He knew she resented Jon yet nothing could compel him to break his promise. 

He could bear the shame of a bastard son. He could not bear the shame that would attach itself to Lyanna’s reputation if everyone knew.

If Robert ever found out, he would have Jon’s head for the Targaryen blood that ran through his veins. Ned could not bear to lose the last of Lyanna.

Better the world believe that even an honourable man could stray.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :)


	9. silent fears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catelyn questions Ned about Jon's mother and his anger is worse than she had ever seen.

For the very first time in their marriage, Catelyn had been afraid of Ned. She had asked him about his bastard and he had been silent at first. 

However, the mere mention of Ashara had caused his anger to blaze. His voice grew in volume and he had stepped towards her as if she were the enemy. 

He uttered words she would not forget, words that terrified her and words akin to being stabbed in the heart a thousand times. 

She hoped never to see Ned so angry again. 

She never dared to mention Ashara’s name again. 

The bastard remained.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	10. simple pleasures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa had loved lemon cakes since her first childhood taste.

Lemon cakes were the most delicious thing Sansa had ever tasted. 

Delicately flavoured and so sweet, she adored them so she ate a great deal when she was allowed them. 

They were like sunshine, they brought her happiness every time. Her siblings knew that so used them as bribes to gain her forgiveness such as when Arya left a rat in her bed.

Even now as an adult, she could not resist the occasional indulgence where she ate several at a time in a very short timeframe. 

It was a tiny, simple pleasure and yet one that uplifted her soul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	11. vicious thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cersei never considered Tyrion to be a part of her family.

Throughout her childhood, Cersei had wanted Tyrion to die. 

He was not a Lannister, not by any stretch of the imagination, and he ruined the image of their family. 

Lannisters were golden-haired and beautiful, perfect in stature and shape whilst he was misshapen, short and had mismatched eyes.

She spent hours dreaming of how perfect their family would be if Tyrion were to die in some unfortunate accident or if he were to be struck by illness. 

It did not happen despite her thoughts. 

Tyrion continued to plague her, ruining their family name time and time again with his actions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	12. little joys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elia could find joy within the world wherever she looked.

Elia had always sought happiness in the smallest of things: a just blossomed wildflower, the sight of a luminous moon on a clear night or even the warmth of the sun gently enfolding her into its arms.

She believed joy existed everywhere, it was simply a case of holding the wonders of the world within your soul.

She had been asked how to be happy. She said _“Take pleasure in the heady smell of cinnamon, let your tongue savour the richness of red wine and you will see how easy it is to be happy.”_

Her soul was truly content.


	13. golden glory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Serving the king had been Jaime's dream since childhood.

All he had ever wanted was to be a knight. 

To be adored like the knights of old, to find fame with his feats and provide honour to his family.

He was beautiful, was it vain to say so? And, he could fight like no other boy of his age. 

It seemed unthinkable he would be anything but a member of the Kingsguard dressed in a white silk cloak and golden armour as befits a Lannister. 

He eagerly awaited the moment he would be taken into the king’s confidence as his own personal knight. 

Glory would be settled on him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	14. savage shocks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joffrey was a terrible brother, he always tried to hurt Myrcella.

Myrcella knew that Joffrey was cruel.

Behind that golden visage, her older brother harboured terrible thoughts which he often exacted on her and Tommen.

She still remembered being five years old and Joffrey pinching her neck, his slender fingers gripping harder and harder, until she bled.

Then, he told Mother that it was an accident during their play.

She hoped he would never touch her again but he tore out fistfuls of her hair, ripped her dolls to shreds and still he smirked.

Her only consolation was that once she married, Joffrey would never be able to hurt her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	15. silver songs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyanna had always loved music so she brought it to Winterfell.

Winterfell had never been a place of music. 

It made no space for the frivolity of songs nor the gaiety of bards. It was a quiet, harsh place steeped in the traditions of old. 

Yet, Lyanna had the voice of nightingale and when she sang her eyes flashed silver with each note.

She brought a lightness to their dinners with her charming voice, accompanied with her nimble fingers upon the harp she had begged her father to buy. 

After her death, music was banished until Sansa stumbled upon the forgotten harp. 

Sansa played, Arya sang and music returned to Winterfell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	16. longing glances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ned Stark found himself enthralled by Ashara Dayne.

Wild purple eyes and tumbling black hair, she moved with such liveliness that Ned was captivated by her every action.

He could not look away. 

Expressive face and ever-moving lips, she brought a vibrancy that could not be found in the grey snows of Winterfell. 

His heart raced with this unknown desire. 

Silvery laugh and fruity voice, she spoke with such warmth and feeling that he remained in close proximity wherever she moved. 

He yearned to speak with her. 

Opportunity arose when his brother, so full of confidence, claimed her hand for Ned in a dance he would never forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	17. first loves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robb Stark could not help his feelings when it came to Jeyne Westerling.

Robb had known a woman or two in the carnal sense before sweet Jeyne.

Love had been an unknown ship in the distance until his eyes fell upon the shy girl with warm brown eyes and a smile she could not hide. 

Her voice was like a song, melodic and so pleasing to his ears, that sometimes he wished he could listen to it all day long. 

Sweet yet with a wicked humour, he could not help losing his heart. 

It was the first time he felt this sense of complete contentment, a sense of unconditional love and unbridled desire. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	18. distressing lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tyrion didn't want to believe Jaime's betrayal.

Tyrion’s heart had been broken twice over. 

To lose Tysha had savaged his soul, yet to know Jaime had lied to him was a betrayal that broke him. 

Golden Jaime, kind Jaime, the brother he had adored made a mockery of him before everyone. He would have expected it from Cersei. 

How could the one he loved do this to him?

He had looked up to Jaime, had wanted to be Jaime and now Tyrion felt uncertainty creep into his mind. 

If Jaime could hurt him so, how could he expect better?

He would allow no-one into his heart again.


	19. gentle heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oberyn reminisces on Elia's goodness and her kind acts.

Elia was often on his mind. 

She had been brutally taken from this world, a fate too cruel for one whose soul was kind and whose heart was gentle. 

He remembered the way she would press food into the hands of beggars, give clothes to the homeless and how she would always have a warm, genuine smile upon her face. 

She had not deserved her death.

Oberyn would not allow her to pass into history as a mere footnote of a slaughtered queen, she deserved to be remembered for her thoughtful deeds. 

He would ensure her legacy was her kindness.


	20. grievous losses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa reflects on the pain that House Stark has suffered.

Sometimes, Sansa could not believe how much House Stark had lost.

Her aunt Lyanna, uncle Brandon and grandfather had been the first losses in Robert's Rebellion. 

And now, her father, her mother and her brothers Robb and Rickon would be buried besides them.

Thinking of them hurt. Thinking of the needless slaughter hurt. Thinking of all those whom she had never been lucky enough to meet hurt.

On these days, she longed to clasp Arya and Bran against her chest and never let them go. 

They chafed, of course, at her protective nature but she would not lose another Stark. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I'm tagging this as finished for now so I can focus on my other works, however there may be more in the future :)


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